NozoEri Ficlet Collection
by eri-loves-nozomi
Summary: the collection of all the NozoEri one-shots I will write, that don't have a tie-in with a specific AU I am working on. Most of these will be extremely short. May include other pairings on occasion.
1. One Hundred Is Not Enough

**One Hundred Is Not Enough**

Ayase Eri was not brave. Even if the whole school thought that she was perfect, that nothing ever bothered her, it simply wasn't true. She was terrified of dark places, caves, foggy evenings, her own house in the middle of the night…but most of all, she was afraid of confessing to the person she loved.

She had tried to be subtle about it, because she cherished her friendship with her beloved fried, Toujou Nozomi, but she isn't very good at subtle. Eri has tried everything to deal with her emotions, distancing herself from Nozomi, brashly stating that she likes Nozomi, and even writing love letters.

Distancing herself didn't do any good at all. Nozomi refused to take the hint and continued to invade Eri's personal space at every opportunity. She eventually gave up on that plan out of sheer frustration.

Every time she told Nozomi that she likes her, Nozomi would give her this huge smile and tell her that she also adores Erichi, how happy she is that they are best friends. Eri wasn't able to continue with her 'tell Nozomi that she likes her until she gets the point' plan, because she started to feel the weight of both guilt and depression every time she saw that bright smile.

Her final hope was the love letter. However, Eri was not brave. She wrote a ton of love letters and she even managed to put them in Nozomi's locker, but she just couldn't bring herself to sign them. So here she was, filling Nozomi's locker with anonymous love letters, whispering loving words to empty air long after Nozomi has passed out of hearing range, and generally being a hopeless suitor.

* * *

Nozomi waited calmly all day, secretly looking forward to when she was able to be alone. Inside her school bag was yet another precious love letter. She absolutely couldn't wait to read it. She thought that it was absolutely adorable how her Erichi kept sending them to her 'secretly'. How Eri was dense enough to think that she wouldn't recognize her handwriting by now was one of the things that she loved about the girl. She was so cute.

Nozomi knew that she was being a bit mean, not telling Eri that she knew about the letters and was always still within hearing when Eri told her 'I love you', but she thought that maybe it would be fine to wait a little while longer to tell her that she returned her feelings. She'll definitely tell her once she's managed to collect at least one hundred of Erichi's special love love letters.


	2. About A Ninetails

**About A Ninetails**

Eri is still thinking about it a few hours later, how Nozomi smiled at her in that almost, but not quite teasing way, and said "It reminds me of you." She doesn't know how a Ninetails could possibly remind Nozomi of her, but she has to believe it, because Nozomi had blushed a tiny bit as she said it, and that was enough for Eri to know that it wasn't just said to tease her.

The shadows were getting longer now, as the sun began to set, and they weren't anywhere near another town, so it was time to stop for the night and set up camp. After choosing a good site, Eri released all of her pokemon from their balls, something she did every night. Her fire pokemon all gathered around her, calling happily and giving her affectionate headbutts.

Eri smiled happily as she fed and played with her pokemon. It was something she did every evening, because she thought it was a good time for bonding. Nozomi went about, setting up their sleeping bags and other things while she did this, giggling to herself occasionally at how cute Eri was being with her pokemon.

When it had gotten so dark that it was hard to see anything outside their little camp, Eri started to feel that familiar anxiousness that came from being outside at night. She gave her pokemon their last treats and sent them into their familiar nightly routine, an outward circle around the encampment.

"Oh, I almost forgot! This girl will be happy to keep the others company if I let her out now." Nozomi released her Ninetails so that she could join the other fire pokemon, who were all settling down in their positions to sleep.

Nozomi's Ninetails looked around the circle eagerly, and then, after giving Nozomi an affectionate nuzzle, immediately went over to where Eri's Ninetails was already lying down. The two pokemon seemed to get along quite well, despite having just met, and were quickly settled into a comfy cuddling position for the night.

"Hmmm…those two have the right idea, it seems…" Nozomi looked at Eri with a mischievous smile. "Does Erichi also want to cuddle with me tonight?" Eri knew there was no hiding her blush at hearing those words spoken in such a teasing manner, but then, she wasn't going to deny that maybe she really did want to cuddle with Nozomi tonight.


	3. No Fear of Storms

It was a tradition that the student councils of UTX and Otonokizaka got together once a month to discuss events and other things that affected both of their schools. Ayase Eri, the student council president of Otonokizaka was attending one such meeting, being held that month at UTX, when a storm rolled into the area.

Most of the other council members had already gone home, and the only students staying late were Eri and the UTX president, arguing about various points that should have been hashed out at numerous previous meetings. Eri wasn't fond of the UTX president at all, and found dealing with her extremely trying. She was looking forward to when she could finally go home and relax.

'I wish Nozomi were here…' The thought crossed the blonde's mind for the fifteenth time that evening. She looked out the large glass windows of the rival school's council room at the pouring rain and darkening sky, and sincerely hoped that her fellow president would be ready to go home soon.

"Well, I guess that's all we'll manage to get done today." Eri breathed a sigh of relief that the meeting was finally over. She managed a sincere looking smile and cordial goodbye, but inside she was anxious to get on her way home before the storm got any worse.

A crash of thunder, followed by the quick flash of lightning was the only warning Eri had before the power went completely out in the building, just as she reached the front hallway. A wave of fear swept over her heart and Eri backed into the wall behind her, fumbling with her phone as she attempted to get it out of her bag, in the dark, with shaking hands that wouldn't stop trembling.

"Nozomi…I need you…" The phone fell to the ground in front of her, as Eri slumped to the floor. She needed to call Toujou Nozomi, her most precious person and the one she could rely on to ease her heart with just her voice, but she wasn't even able to hold the phone properly through her fear of the dark, and her voice could not even be heard over the rage of the storm.

"Don't worry, Erichi. I've got you." Nozomi was there with her. Eri could feel Nozomi's warm arms around her, and could hear Nozomi's beating heart as her head was gently pressed to a soft chest. Nozomi's clothes were wet; practically dripping, and her playful voice sounded slightly out of breath.

"Nozomi?" How had Nozomi even gotten there so quickly? Eri thought for sure that she hadn't managed to call her.

"Of course I felt that my precious Erichi needed me." Nozomi just smiled with a hint of amused mischief in her voice and shifted into a more comfortable position for holding Eri and sitting against the wall at the same time. Eri closed her eyes and enjoyed the safety and comfort of Nozomi's warm embrace, keeping back the fear of the dark and stormy night.

Later, after they had been stumbled upon (and then teased a bit) by Kira Tsubasa and Nozomi had managed to coax Eri to let go of her long enough to walk home together, Eri would find out that Nozomi had come with an umbrella as soon as the storm had started, but had only just made it when the power went out.

"Hmm…I think I'll just have to take you with me to all of my UTX meetings in the future, Nozomi." And so the two went together every time after that. Afterwards, they would go on parfait dates and Nozomi would tease Eri about how the UTX president had a crush on her.

"Even so, I won't allow her to steal your heart, Erichi…It already belongs to me, after all."


	4. A Clear Connection

A/N: I have heard your various requests to update my other stories, and I will be working on it. I tend to be rather random in my interest in working on my various projects, so the updates won't always come in a set order...right now the things most likely to get published first: Nozomi's Las Vegas Vacation (special one-shot), Love Horizon NicoMaki chapter, A Single Story update, Alpacas of the Moon update, and A Certain Miscommunication Part 4...subject to change. Thank you for your continued interest. ^^

* * *

Ayase Eri became aware of what was going on around her slowly. She was sort of aware that the boisterous first year student, Hoshizora Rin, was attempting to convince her more reserved friend, Nishikino Maki, to eat some food that looked like it might be a bit burnt. That the three second years in their club had all fallen asleep on the loveseat under the window. That her fellow third year student, Yazawa Nico, was glaring in her general direction and muttering things under her breath…

None of that mattered to Eri right at that moment, however. She was desperately trying to retain the thoughts and feelings that had swept over her mind in the moment before, when she had looked into the eyes of her best friend, Toujou Nozomi, and all sensation had melted away. It was curious, but she couldn't really pinpoint the moment in time when she had begun to notice the unusual sensation in the back of her mind.

It had started as a faint tingling she would feel every time she looked in Nozomi's beautiful green eyes. Over time, the tingling had spread in its effect and duration, so that it happened whenever she was aware that Nozomi was in the same room as her. Looking into her eyes caused an even more pronounced reaction, making her mind at first blank, and then filled with whispers of thoughts she couldn't quite understand.

All of that was accompanied by a warm sensation, causing her heart to beat rapidly and her cheeks to heat up. Even though it was embarrassing, and she was becoming more and more aware of the sensations of the world around her again, Eri was determined to hold onto the awareness in her mind a while longer. To understand it, because she didn't understand at all, the way being around Nozomi was making her feel.

Eri ignored the small scuffle that broke out when Rin tackled Maki to the floor, and the annoyed huff of Nico who was still glaring. She deliberately kept her eyes on Nozomi, who was watching her back with a keenly interested, almost hopeful, look. The smile on Nozomi's lips as she gazed back at her took Eri's breath away and she felt that if she concentrated, she could barely make out the whispered thoughts she heard in her mind.

'I love you'

'You're perfect'

'I could stay like this forever'

'I love you'

'You're wonderful'

'I hope you never leave my side'

'I love you'

Eri tilted her head in contemplation, but her eyes never left Nozomi's face. The words were easier to make out now. She sort of thought they sounded like Nozomi, but that was impossible, because Nozomi wasn't saying anything. She furrowed her brow in confusion, and opened her mouth to say something, anything, but her mind was still empty of her own thoughts.

Nozomi gave her an understanding smile and reached out to gently hold Eri's hand in her own. At the touch of skin on skin, the words in Eri's mind became clearer than they ever had before and she understood then. A look of amazed realization crossed Eri's face and Nozomi squeezed her hand, a grin of utter delight and happiness lighting up her features.

'I can hear you, Nozomi…' It was a wonderful feeling, to realize that they were connected in a way that no one would be able to take away from them. Eri had always believed herself to be one of the rare people, like Maki, who simply did not have a mental connection to someone, and now it turned out that she had just been unable to feel it before.

'Hmmm…I've been waiting for Erichi to be able to hear me calling since forever. I was beginning to think that Erichi was never going to notice.' The huge smile and playful tone that Nozomi had helped ease the guilt that Eri felt from hearing that. The two of them had been close friends for three years and normally, people developed the sensitivity to communicate thoughts and feelings with their mentally connected partner from early childhood, despite how far apart they were. That meant that since she wasn't aware of the connection at all, she had made Nozomi feel alone all this time. It wasn't acceptable.

'You can start making it up to me right now if you want~' Eri blushed deeply at both the playfulness in the words and because she could feel the underlying emotions through their connection. Nozomi was still holding her hand, and that seemed to boost her ability to sense Nozomi's feelings. She wondered if she would one day be able to feel them without having to be in close contact with Nozomi. They'd been taught that the bond would only grow deeper over time, if given the chance.

"Alright. I can't take this anymore. Go do your flirting somewhere else." Nico pointed an accusing finger at both of them as they finally looked away from each other to look at her. "You've been staring at each other for the past hour! If all you are going to do is make lewd faces at each other, you can go do it at home instead of corrupting the children…and don't give me that look, Eri. Even if you haven't been doing it, Nozomi had been undressing you with her eyes for the last ten minutes at least."


	5. In Dreams

Ayase Eri closed her eyes and let her mind drift away into a peaceful slumber. She was only partially aware of the waking world fading away, and then she was somewhere else entirely. Eri could smell the lingering fragrance of blooming flowers. Her head was pillowed on a soft lap, with a warm hand gently running fingers through her loose blond hair. She could hear a lovely voice humming a familiar melody above her.

"Nozomi…" Eri opened her eyes, already certain of the identity whose lap she was currently occupying. She smiled happily when their eyes met, glad to see the other girl, who she had missed dearly while she was awake. She reached up to touch Nozomi's face, needing confirmation that the other girl was truly there with her.

"You're late today, Erichi…I've been waiting here forever…" Nozomi pouted cutely, catching Eri's hand with both of hers and holding it to her cheek lovingly. "I was beginning to worry that you wouldn't return here again."

"Ah…I had a lot of homework to catch up on this evening, so I ended staying up later than normal." Eri would not tell Nozomi, but she had been deliberately putting off doing her homework for that last few weeks, in order to search for her beloved friend in the waking world. Nozomi wouldn't or couldn't tell her who she really was or where she lived. The only thing that Eri knew about her was her given name and the few details that she had picked up through their talks during the shared dreams.

Eri was intent on finding Nozomi. She hadn't believed at first that the girl in her dreams was real, but as she continued to come back to 'their garden' night after night, she began to believe that it wasn't just her overworked mind giving her reoccurring dreams, because the dreams were never exactly the same. Nozomi always remembered what they had talked about, what they had done. Sometimes to Eri's utter embarrassment. She had quickly learned that Nozomi was an incorrigible flirt and with a great love of teasing her.

"Erichi loves her work more than she loves me…" Nozomi hid her face in her hands, seeming to be greatly upset by this idea. Eri was pretty certain that Nozomi was teasing her again, but she couldn't help but worry that the other girl was actually upset by her workaholic tendencies and hastened to reassure her.

"Ah N-Nozomi…Of course I l-love you more than anything else…I mean…" Eri knew that her entire face was red. She tried to force her blush to disperse with the force of her willpower, but it didn't work at all. For some reason, even though she knew she was dreaming, she hadn't been able to figure out how to control the dream, despite having read a great many books on the subject.

Nozomi was peeking out at her from between her fingers, a bright grin on her face, and not a single trace of a tear to be seen. Eri thought that she looked beautiful in that garden, surrounded by blooming flowers, in the light of a spring day.

"I love Erichi too!"

* * *

Ayase Eri opened her eyes to the bright morning light of the real world. She felt the loss of Nozomi's presence acutely as the last sensations of the dream faded away from her mind. She longed to just go back to sleep and return to the place that they shared, but she knew from experience that she couldn't go back again until the next evening.

Eri sighed softly and did the next best thing. She got up and ready for the day. She would do what she had done every day for the last three years of high school, ever since she had met the girl of her dreams (in her dreams). She would go to school, work hard at her duties, and then spend the afternoon searching for a particularly beautiful girl with purple hair and deep turquoise eyes. She would find her Nozomi wherever she was in the world and then she would keep her close by her side, awake and sleeping.

'I love you, Erichi…' No matter how the little details of the dreams may fade from her mind in the light of day, Eri will never forget those words.


	6. My Only Answer

**Title: My Only Answer**

This is a song inspired ficlet. For full effect, please listen to "My Only Answer" by Austin Ademic while reading.

* * *

"She's leaving today… shouldn't you go? Are you sure…you won't regret it…?"

She would never stop regretting it. Waiting too long to make a decision. Having to run the whole way to the airport because she couldn't find her train pass and didn't want to (absolutely couldn't) waste the time looking for it. What was she thinking? How could she not realize that letting go this time would mean losing the one thing that she never wanted to give up?

Her feet hurt. Maybe they were bleeding. She doesn't care. She can't stop now. She knows she'll get scolded later for not changing into her outdoor shoes. It doesn't matter at all. She would listen to all the lectures in the world if she could go on listening to that beautiful voice. If she could see the worry and affection in those gorgeous eyes. She prays to any god that will listen that she isn't too late to get back what she has lost.

Through the airport doors. A sudden shock as burning heat turned to blistering cold in an instant. She won't stop now. She's almost there. Shouts from somewhere that seem far away. She wonders vaguely if they are upset that she is leaving bloody footprints on the floor. It doesn't matter. Only time matters and getting there before she has lost everything.

She was always lucky. Lucky that she already knew where to go. Lucky that she had made a decision before all hope was lost. Lucky that airport security is backed up today. Not that it would have stopped her. She giggles at the thought of how many more lectures she would get if she had to break through airport security, even as her weary feet (body) push her forward towards her goal.

A goddess stands before her, waiting patiently for her turn in line. So close, but still too far away. How can she stop her if she can't reach her? She pushes against the barrier separating her from the one she needs to be with, reaching out for her, words stuck in her throat. She has to speak. To say the words. That is the only way.

Hands are drawing her back. Familiar voices shouting in her ear, heard but not understood. Still, she presses forward, because if she doesn't, she loses everything. Her only love. Her whole world.

"Erichi! I love you! Please don't leave! Stay here with me…Please…"

* * *

**Extra:**

"I can't believe you did that…" The blonde can't keep the smile off her face or hide the warm affection in her voice.

"Hmm…It was the only way. And it worked didn't it?" The other girl wraps her beloved in her arms, nuzzling her face into her neck and placing soft kisses here and there. "You still haven't given me a proper answer, you know."

"Fine, fine…I love you too…and I will always be with you…Nozomi…"


	7. The Shy Girl Who Had No Friends

There once was a shy little girl who had no friends. She had just moved to Japan from Russia, you see, and even though she understood Japanese really well, she was laughed at and made fun of whenever she tried to speak it.

The shy girl with no friends had a secret that she couldn't tell anyone. She had a secret crush on a cute, but mischievous girl who had lots of friends. Whenever the shy girl tried to approach her cute crush, those loud and boisterous friends seemed to tighten their circle and shut her out. It made the shy girl extremely sad, and everyday she watched the cute girl from a distance.

One day, the shy little girl with no friends decided that she really wanted to show her feelings to her cute, mischievous crush. But how could she do that without running into the other girl's friends? She couldn't write a letter because she wasn't certain of the proper lettering and she didn't want to be laughed at.

Eventually, the shy girl decided that she would draw something. She drew a little comic about a shy kitsune with no friends and a cute, mischievous tanuki that had lots of friends. In her comic, the shy kitsune watched from behind a tree, sad and lonely, as the tanuki played with all her friends. The shy kitsune watched and cried to herself, 'chika…'.

After the comic was done, the shy girl with no friends placed it in the cute, mischievous girl's locker when no one was looking. She wanted to see if her secret crush would like the comic. If maybe she could convey her feeling of wanting to be friends in that way. If maybe her cute crush would notice her…

The next day, the shy girl with no friends noticed something. There, on her cute crush's desk, was another comic just like the one she drew. In this new comic, the tanuki was by herself for once and noticed the kitsune watching her play, and even though all the kitsune could say was 'chika', the tanuki didn't mind at all, and they played together for a long time.

Before long, the shy girl and the mischievous girl were exchanging comics everyday. The story of the kitsune and tanuki evolved day after day, until they were very close friends. The shy girl still didn't have any friends, but she felt that she had a special relationship with her cute crush, who she loved more and more as the days passed.

Then one day, the shy girl drew one last comic. In her comic, the shy kitsune gave the tanuki a cute little kiss and a cute little silent confession that was an unmistakable declaration of love.

The shy girl waited and waited for the return comic that would tell her if the tanuki returned the kitsune's love…but it never came. One day passed, two, three…nothing. And then…the cute, mischievous girl approached the shy girl who had no friends for the first time…and responded to her confession with a cute little kiss and a cute little declaration of love.

And the cute, mischievous girl was still cute and still mischievous, but the shy girl who had no friends now had not only one dear friend, but one wonderful beloved as well.


End file.
